Texas Police: Border School Board Member Caught with 1200 Lbs. of Pot

A school board member in Progreso, Texas was allegedly caught with 1,254 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle on April 5, according to a general complaint obtained by Breitbart Texas. Reports by The McAllen Monitor state that a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper reportedly pulled 31-year-old Felix Hernandez Jr. over for a traffic violation before the discovery was made.

Hernandez is charged with a felony–possession of 50-2,000 pounds of marijuana–and could spend up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

A spokesperson from the Progreso Independent School District, who asked to remain unnamed, told Breitbart Texas that Hernandez has been on the school board for six to eight years and has children in the district. The source said that if Hernandez is found guilty of a felony, he will likely be removed from the school board.

The spokesman added that background checks are not required for school board members, who are voted in by the community’s general public.

Hernandez is currently in the Hidalgo County Jail with bail set at $1.25 million, according to The McAllen Monitor. His arrest is only the latest in a string of controversial incidents to take place in Progreso.

In early April, Breitbart Texas reported that the town’s mayor, 36-year-old Omar Leonel Vela, recently admitted to accepting more than $300,000 in bribes. His brother Michael Vela, President of the Progreso Independent School District (PISD), was also involved in the case. According to court documents, for over a decade contractors competing for jobs at PISD were forced to pay the Velas a fee. The companies were then compensated to provide various services for PISD with a portion of the district’s $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

Although Omar Vela has not yet officially resigned as mayor, town officials told Breitbart Texas he is expected to do so in the near future.